John Louis Novy

John Louis Novy, 88, of Greenfield, loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully at Adair County Memorial Hospital in Greenfield Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020.

Funeral services will be held at a later date when hugs and handshakes will be welcomed.

Steen Funeral Homes of Greenfield has John and his family in their care. The family would like to express their deepest gratitude for the overwhelming love and support to all those who have reached out during this time. For more details of John’s life and funeral arrangements, we encourage friends to visit www.steenfunerals.com and share their sympathies and memories with John’s family using online condolences.

John was born Oct. 7, 1932, at his home in rural Adams County, the third son of Edd Lily (Strompp) Novy. After graduating from Cromwell High School in 1950, he worked for Adams County prior to being drafted to the U.S. Army in 1953. He served in the U.S. Army as an MP in Japan near the end of the Korean War.

On Feb. 18, 1956, he married Jean Marie Jennings at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Lenox and started a family in Creston. “Big John” joined the Iowa State Patrol in 1957 and the family moved to Guthrie Center and later settled in Greenfield in 1966.

John remained in Greenfield where he retired after 30 years as Iowa State Trooper 290 in 1987. John continued to work for a few more years, driving trucks for G & H Motor Freight.

John is survived by Jean, his wife of 64 years; 12 children: Keith, Dixon (Denise Wold), Carolyn, Linda (Jack) Blaine, Catherine, David, John, Mary, Margaret (Jamison) Jaworski, Steven, Matthew (Kim) and Mark (Robin Behr); 24 precious grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews.

John was preceded in death by his parents; older brothers Leo (Doris) Novy and Glenn (Bernice) Novy.